Fire escape



April 7, 1925. 1,532,768

' L. M. LITTLE FIRE ESCAPE Filed Aug. 21, 1923 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvenhw April 7,1925.- 1,532,768

L. M. LITTLE FIRE ESCAPE Filed Aug. 21, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 x x t X 10 X a Z0 gvwe-r New Lea/2 if 171K655 April 7, 1925. 1 ,532,768

7 L. M. LITTLE F'IRE ESCAPE Filed Aug. 21, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwum M01 Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

F F E Q LEON M. LITTLE, or DUBLIN, enonera.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Application filed August 21, 1923. Serial No. $58,636.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, LEON -M. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dublin, in the county of Laurens and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire escapes, and has special reference to a permanent fire escape for buildings, the fire escape being located on the exterior of the building One important object of the invention is to improve the general construction of devices of this character.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved endless chain fire escape which can be readily adjusted for use but which, whennot in use, will be so stored as to be free from malicious and unauthorized tampering.

A third important object of the invention is to provide an improved fire escape in the form of an endless conveyor which will be entirely auotomatic in its lowering operation, not requiring any power for this purpose.

A fourth imporant object of the invention is to provide a fire escape of this character which is characterized by being able to be used rapidly, and without risk to infants and small children, as well as for i In like manner, each upper shaft 15 is progrown persons.

W 1th the above and other Ob ects in view as Wlll be hereinafter apparent, the nvention consists in eneral of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Fig. .1 is a section through a building wall, showing the improved fire escape in its relation thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the improved fire escape taken on line 22 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail'parti'al top plan view.

Fig. 4c is a detail perspective'of one of the buckets.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a certain latch mechanism used herewith.

In carrying out this invention there is provided an upper frame structure 10 having a platform 11, and this frame structure is securely fixed to the building, above one row of the window openings, the build- .ing itself being indicated at 12, and such there being a pair of these sprocket wheels on each shaft so that a pair of chains 1'? to which are connected buckets 18 of collapsible nature can be passed around these sprockets, as shown in F'g. 1. Each of these buckets consists of a frame 19 and a bag or bottom of flexible material as shown at 20 so that the buckets can collapse while ascending. The frames 19 are supported by cords or chains 21 so that in descending they occupy a horizontal position. Moreover, the frame 19 has forwardly projecting arms 22 provided with enlarged ends 23 which engage in guide ways 24: fixed to the building at each side of the windows. Each of the lower shaftsv 15 is provided with a gear wheel 22 wherer with meshes a pinion 23 capable of being rotated by a crank 24: so that if necesfl sary, the chains may be manually moved.

vided with a gear 25 which meshes with a pinion 26 and on the shafts of these pinions are pulleys 27 which are connected by crossed belt 28, one ormore shafts being capable of actuation by a crank 29. Gne of these shafts has the pulley thereon loose on the shaft, but capable of being connected thereto by means of a clutch mech anism 30. Thus when the clutch mechanism is thrown in, the construction is such that rotation of one shaft by the crank 29 will cause rotation in opposite directions of the upper sprocket wheels. The chains 17 are provided at. a suitable point in their length with a detachable coupler link 31 so that' they may be uncoupled at this point and connected in any suitable manner to a counterweight 82. Thus when not in use, the chains are uncoupled, removed from the lower sprockets 16 and connected to the counterweight. Then by throwing in the clutch and rotating one of the cranks 29, the counterweight willbe drawn up and the chains will be fed inward toward the center of the platform from each upper sprocket 16, suitable boxes or re'cep tacles 83 being provided for the reception of these chains, and the buckets 18, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Extending upward from the counterweight 32 is an arrow head 34 which, when the weight is raised, passes between latch arms 85 normally urged together by springs 36. Con: nected to this latch arm are release ropes or cords 37 which pass over idler pulleys 38 and down through a tubular rod 39 to a box 4O inconvenient position to be open by the proper party so that the cords may be grasped and pulled to release the weight. Thus, when the weightis raised, releasing thereof permit it to fall by gravity whereby the chains are brought into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the chains and buckets passing out of the receptacles S3, and thereafter, the chains are detached from the weight 32 and connected by the coupler 31 after being passed around the lower sprocket wheels 16. Then the device is ready for use. In order to prevent too rapid movement of the distended buckets downwardly each of the upper shafts 15 is provided with a brake drum 11 on which acts "a brake 42, these brakes being secured at one end in a suitable manner as at 10 to the frame 10 and controlled by suitable brake wires 13 connected with the opposite ends thereof and leading down through the tube 39. Also, there is provided, beneath the distended buckets, a receiving platform a l which is preferably of netting. H

in order to allow for the passage of the buckets past 'cornices and other projections on the building, there is hinged adjacent the front edge of each bucket an extension platform 45 liaving stops 46 to hold the same horizontal when the buckets are in distended position. However, these stops are so arranged that the platforms can lift in order to allow them to pass cornices and like projections. Thus the space between the building and the bucket is normally kept filled so as to prevent people from dropping through these spaces.

In use, it is simply necessary for the occupants of the building to pass out of the windows into the buckets as they move downwards past the windows whereupon they will be safely conveyed to the receiving platform 44.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the naterial spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

I claim 1. The combination with a building having vertically alined window openings; of an upper frame structure above the upper window openings and projecting from the building, a similar lower frame arranged below the upper frame, guide wheels arranged horizontally in spaced pairs on said frames, flexible elements running over the guide wheels of the upper frame and adapt ed to be led around the guide wheels of the lower frame, buckets carried by said elements, arms projecting forwardly from said buckets, guide ways carried by the building and receiving said arms to guide said buckets, means for detachably connecting the ends of respective flexible elements to form endless flexible elements, a weight to which said ends may be alternatively connected, releasable latch means beneath the upper frame structure for engaging and holding said weight in an elevated position, and means for supporting the flexible elements and buckets on the upper frame structure when the weight is held in an ele-.

vated position.

2. The combination with a building having Vertically alined window openings; of an upper frame structure above the upper window openings and projecting from the building, a similar lower frame arranged below the upper frame, guide wheels arranged horizontally in spaced pairs on said frames, flexible elements running over the guide wheels of the upper frame and adapted to be led around the guide wheels of the lower frame, buckets carried by said elemeats, arm's projecting forwardly from said buckets, guide ways carried by the building and receiving said arms to guide said elements, means for detachably connecting the ends of respective flexible elements, a weight to which said ends may be alternatively connected, releasable latch means beneath the upper frame structure for engaging and holding said weight, means for driving the pairs of wheels of the upper frame structure in opposite directions to move both ends of the respective flexible elements and the weight upward, and storage bins on the upper frame structure for receiving the middle portions of said flexible elements and the buckets connected thereto.

3. The combination with a building having vertically alined window openings; of an upper frame structure above the upper window openings and projecting from the building, a similar lower frame.

arranged below the upper frame, guide wheels arranged horizontally in'spaced pairs on said frames, flexible element's running over the guide wheels of the upper frame and adapted to be led around the guide wheels of the lower frame, buckets carried by said elements, arms projecting forwardly from said buckets, guide ways carried by the building and receiving said arms to guide said elements, means for detachably connecting the ends of respective flexible elements, a weight to which said ends may be alternatively connected, releasable latch means beneath the upper frame structure for engaging and holding said weight, means for driving the pairs of wheels of the upper frame structure in opposite directions to move both ends of the respective flexible elements and the weight upward, storage bins on the upper frame structure for receiving the middle portions ofsaid ranged horizontally in spaced pairs on said frames, flexible elements running over the guide wheels of the upper frame and adapted to be led around the guide wheels of the lower frame, buckets carried by said elements, arms projecting forwardly from said buckets, guide ways carried by the building and receiving said arms to guide said elements, means for detachably connecting the ends of respective flexible elements, a weight to which said ends may be alternatively connected, releasable latch means beneath the upper frame structure for engaging and holding said weight, means for driving the pairs of wheels of the upper frame structure in opposite directions to move both ends of the respective flexible elements and the weight upward, storage bins on the upper frame structure for receiving the middle portions of said flexible elements and the buckets connected thereto, clutch means for bringing the last mentioned means into and out of operative relation to said wheels, and a brake mechanism for controlling the movement of the wheels on the upper frame structure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEON M. LITTLE. 

